Fitness and exercise are an important part of leading a healthy life. People who exercise regularly have healthier hearts, and are less prone to problems related to obesity as well as depression and other mental illnesses. Read on to find out how you can set up your own fitness program and start to feel great!
Switch up your routine. If you have a regular exercise routine or exercise using some sort of circuit at your local gym, try to mix it up a little. You might stop seeing results as fast if your muscles are given time to adapt to a routine once you stick with it long enough.
One way to ensure a safe fitness routine is to make sure that you have fully recovered from the previous day, before attempting your new workout. This can be done by measuring your morning resting heart rate and comparing it to your normal resting heart rate. If it is considerably higher than normal, you need more rest.
morning routine. Try waking up 15 minutes earlier and using that time to do some light exercising like walking, aerobics or jumping rope. This can lay the foundation for starting your day with an exhilarating workout, and your workouts can build over time.
Rather than seeing exercise as something you “must” do, try to see it as something you want to do! Love dancing? Then hit the nightclubs! Enjoy a good hike? Then grab your running shoes! Cleaning the house, taking a walk with an old friend, romping around in the backyard with your dog – if it’s something you enjoy doing, you’re much more likely to stick with it.
Try doing dips that use double the energy to give your triceps a more effective workout during your routine. Start by doing your dips like you usually would, but with your elbows turned inward and keeping your body straightened.Then lean forward and force them outward to focus on your chest muscles.
Never lift weights for more than an hour. If you continue lifting for any longer than that, your body will automatically activate a natural defense mechanism, which causes muscle-wasting and fatigue. Keep yourself on a strict time limit to prevent losing what muscle mass you have worked so hard to gain.
Use different methods when bench-pressing weights. To work-out your upper and lower arms, forcefully push the bench bar away from you, but to work your chest muscles, tightly pull it towards you. Get a complete workout – by using both of these methods – in the same session, and reap the benefits.
Try to reduce the amount of stress you have in your life. Find a nice relaxing place and maybe take a break from your work out and try and meditate or do some yoga. This will really help your fitness routine, and your body will love you for it.
After your workout and only after your workout, make sure to have a lot of sugar. Sugar helps to carry vital proteins to the muscles that you have just worked on. It is important not too have too much sugar other times of the day, as this could actually dehydrate your body.
To feel fresh during your workout, try to eat a cup of blueberries or strawberries beforehand. Berries are a great source of antioxidants, as they can help you to reduce the amount of toxins in your body. This is a fantastic way to help reach your highest capacity while working out.
A great fitness tip is to make sure you’re getting the full range of motion when you’re lifting weights. You don’t want to cheat yourself by only partially lifting weights. Getting the full range of motion will insure that you are getting the most out of your lifts
A very good tip in reaching a well rounded physically fit body is to do exercises that you tend to dislike. You probably dislike it because you are weak at it and the only way to strengthen that part of your body is to exercise and do the work out associated to it.
One small thing anyone can do to stay fit is to avoid elevators and escalators and take the stairs whenever possible. Taking the stairs will obviously help tone the lower half of your body, specifically your calves, but aside from that it is also a great way to easily burn a few calories.
Spinning classes can be a great fun way to get in shape. Many people go to the gym deciding that they solely want to focus on aerobic exercise to shed pounds. Well, spinning is one of the best ways to lose weight because it removes the total amount of stress on your joints that you might get from long distance running, while still pairing it with a calorie-burning cardiovascular activity.
The older you are, the longer you need to hold stretches. Younger muscles tend to be somewhat looser, and those under 40 should hold stretches, without bouncing, for 30 seconds. Once you hit your 40s, your muscles become somewhat harder to stretch, so you will get better results if you hold your stretches for 60 seconds.
It’s important to change up your fitness routine. You don’t want to spend too much time doing the same workout as your body can get too used to it which would limit its effect. Vary your workouts with different types of cardio exercises and mix in activities like yoga, strength training and martial arts.
The cool down period is an essential part of any fitness routine and the perfect way to end an intense workout. You can cool down by stretching to cut down on any muscle soreness you might experience after a workout. Cooling down is also a great way to let your heart settle back into its normal rhythm.
As you can see, staying fit isn’t as intimidating as it seems. Fitness is very important, and now you can join the millions of people who exercise and reap the health and mental benefits. Follow these simple fitness tips and you’ll be well on your way to looking, feeling, and being great!